Profiles of Hope

Scholar Testimonials: Profiles of Hope

THE BOYS HOPE GIRLS HOPE residential program helps academically capable and motivated children-in-need prepare for college while realizing their full potential and becoming men and women for others. After graduating from high school, alumni are expected to continue their studies at the college level, and while doing so, remain very much part of the program and continue to receive aid—financial, emotional
and academic—from Boys Hope Girls Hope.

Click on the stories below to learn how we prepare our graduates for a life of scholarship and success:

Jay

‘Boys Hope Girls Hope offers … extraordinary opportunities.’

Jay came to Boys Hope Girls Hope at the age of twelve. Enrolled at St. Ignatius High, he became the school’s first African-American member of the debate team and went to the state championships as a first-year debater. During his second year, he was one of the top 20 debaters in the state of Ohio.

He graduated with honors from St. Ignatius, winning the school’s prestigious Bellringer Award and going on to Villanova University, where he was recognized as one of the 12 most promising minority male college students in America; he worked for both the National Hispanic Institute and the World Bank; won fellowships to study at Georgetown, Cambridge and Harvard; and co-founded The Paragon, an on-campus organization at Villanova dedicated to developing and teaching leadership in the African-American community.

Since graduating from Villanova, Jay worked at Goldman Sachs for two years before launching a start-up to help small businesses raise capital from investors within their own communities. “I am so indebted to Boys Hope Girls Hope,” Jay says. “I am most thankful to be blessed with an education, and life experience, that empowers me to be committed to something larger than myself”.

Kira

Kira, a recent graduate of Boys Hope Girls Hope now studying at the University of Dayton, recalls how BHGH’s impact continues to have an impact in her life:

“I came to Boy Hope Girls Hope as a child and left as a young, emerging woman. Living in a community of differing personalities was complex, but the lessons learned in service, self determination, and love were more than worth it. I was surrounded by adults who sought the best for my future and development while living with peers who held the same collegiate and success goals in mind. By existing in this environment, I became a more charismatic and flexible person with greater leadership skills and capabilities. Although I have graduated from high school and transitioned into college, Boys Hope Girls Hope still feels like home.”